Psychotherapy supervision research: On roadblocks, remedies, and recommendations

Abstract

ABSTRACT Psychotherapy supervision research, while reflecting empirical advances across the decades, also reflects unfulfilled promise. We subsequently consider why that is so, examining some of the roadblocks that seemingly have prevented supervision research from moving most fruitfully forward. It is our contention that rich seeds of supervision research advancement have long been available, cast in the form of constructive recommendations for action that, unfortunately, have generally gone unheeded and not been acted upon. In hopes of further stimulating supervision research and a re-study of those useful recommendations, we review long-lingering supervision roadblocks, remedies, and recommendations for remedy implementation. Several fundamental issues — focusing on study design, sampling, and measurement concerns — are taken up for consideration. Supervision research, because of its triadic nature, can be highly challenging, difficult to conduct, even ‘messy’. But if supervision is to ever empirically advance beyond its current state, then re-visiting and acting upon some of those earlier-identified, admittedly-demanding recommendations seems sine qua non.